Overrunning clutch



July 20, 1954 G. w. LEWIS 2,684,139

OVERRUNNING CLUTCH Original Filed May 12, 1948 2 Sheets-Sheet l IN V EN TOR.

Qeorge M. Lewis BY July 20, 1954 Original Filed May 12, 1948 G. W. LEWIS OVERRUNNING CLUTCH 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 I N V EN TOR. George W Lew/s Patented July 20, 1954 OVERRUNNING CLUTCH George W. Lewis, Toledo, Ohio, assignor to. The.

Electric Auto-Lite Company, Toledo, Ohio, a.

corporation of Ohio Original application May 12, 1948, Serial No...

26,576. Divided and this application Aprilld, 1950, Serial No. 155,846

Claims.

This invention relates to apparatus for starting engines and particularly to a starting mechanism for automotive engines arranged to render ineffective any driving relation between the engine and the starting mechanism the instant the engine becomes self-operative, and is a division of my application Serial No. 26,576, filed May 12, 1948 now Patent No. 2,562,196, issued July 31, 1951.

ihe invention embraces an engine starter drive comprising a novel arrangement of a clutch having separable units adapted to become in wedged relation with the clutch driving and driven members when starting an engine by a suitable prime mover. The arrangement of the invention is such that slipping or sliding of the separable units momentarily takes place before the load of cranking the engine is taken up by the wedging action of the separable units with the clutch members thus reducing the shock and stresses normally resent at the initiation of the engine starting cycle.

The invention comprehends an engine starter drive including an overrunning roller clutch having camming members having a surface provided with different locking angles whereby the roller locking angle increases as the torque load is increased, so that the shock and stresses, which take place when overload torque is applied to the clutch, are reduced to a predetermined limit, preventing thereby destructive deformation of the parts.

The invention comprises a novel overrunning clutch for use with an electric motor and engine starter pinion in which the means operable to establish the driving relation between the clutch members are not directly carried or fixed to the member connected to the motor or the clutch member connected to the engine starter pinion but are capable of relative movement with respect to both members.

The conventional overrunning clutch used in axially shift-able starterdrives for the present high speed automotive type engine having a high engine acceleration develops operative failures after a comparatively short time of operation. These failures, are more readily manifested when the starter pinion is not shifted out of engagement with the engine flywheel ring gear the instant the engine becomes self-operative mainly on account of the fact, that the rollers are subjected to sliding friction and are called upon to rapidly rotate while the clutch is overrunning. Intact most of the overrunning clutches of conventicnal'tyne. which are intende to v u act as friction clutches transmitting an overrunning torque or dragfrom the. engine to the motor. This drag increases as the engine speed is increased and, due to the high ratio between engine. flywheel gear. and. starter pinion. in the range of 1.6 to 1, this drag in a very short time causes undue heating and wear of the clutchworking parts, rendering the drive inoperative and frequently damagingthe motor by throwing out the. armature windings.

Moreover, some. of. the conventional overrunning clutches used for starting engines are usually deformed and rendered, inoperative after a very short period. of use ouaccountof the very high stressescaused byhigh, radial roller loads in cold weather starting applied, at the same place to the cam surface. and. clutchmember by the wedging action of the rollers which causes. thelocalization of fatigue. one. very small. area.

The. present invention. not only overcomes the performance. failures. before enumerated but makes possible the successful use, for the clutchworking parts. and housing, of relatively inexpensive materials of lower strength and hardness than. have. previously beenfound practical. These. results are. secured by the provision of freely movable. wedging units including a cam member and a spring-pressed roller for establishing a. driving connection. between. cylindrical clutch-working members; or races. The wedging units are adapted to. slip. before establishing a driving connection between the clutch members and are provided with several cam zones, one. acting. asa stress-limiting means to. obtain a uniform distribution of. the engine starting load on the clutch-working. races. and thereby avoiding the localized fatigue as. well as the. destructive or. permanent deformation on bending out of round present in overrunning clutches of conventional form. In. the. clutch oftheinvention, the rollers are not. called upon to rapidly rotate or are subjected tov detrimental sliding friction. because, during, overrunning, the. contact pressure of the rollers. with the. clutch. race; and cam member is relieved and. due.v to the; action. of. centrifugal force, thev rollersaremovcd out of contact with the clutch race- One. object, of thelinvention. relates to. a one.- way clutch in association with a primemoyerfor effectively starting an engine. in. cold weather, thereby providing. an. arrangement. wherein the shockof taking; upthe. engine starting load is cushioned andflwhereby the. torque. transmitted is limited to apredetermined. amount. which does not. exceed the elastic oftheworking parts,

or is dependent upon the stalling torque of the prime mover as usually takes place in conventional clutches.

Another object of the invention is to provide a starter drive including an overrunning clutch provided with camming means and coacting spring-pressed rollers forming separable units movable with respect to the clutch members. These separable units are adapted to slip before establishing a driving connection between the clutch members for cranking the engine to thereby reduce the shock and stresses normally present at the initiation of the engine cranking period.

Another object of the invention is to provide a roller clutch including spring-pressed followers for the rollers of novel construction supported without overhang providing ample space for accommodating suitable spring means, the followers arranged to guide the rollers in a square path across the cam and clutch coacting member, thereby preventing possible twisting of the rollers.

A further object of the invention resides in providing an overrunning clutch in which ample space is provided for lubricating means and wherein the coaction of the parts during normal operation prevents leakage of the lubricating means.

A still further object of the invention is to provide an arrangement of a combination of parts for an overrunning clutch which permits their assembly as a one-way clutch for clock or counter-clockwise rotation.

Other objects and advantages of this invention. relating to the arrangement, operation and function of the related elements of the structure, to various details of construction, to combinations of parts and to economies of manufacture, will be apparent to those skilled in the art upon consideration of the following description and appended claims, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification wherein like reference characters designate corresponding parts in the several views.

Referring to the drawings:

Fig. I is an elevational View with portions broken away and in section illustrating an engine starting apparatus embodying the invention;

Fig. II is a longitudinal sectional view of the overrunning clutch of the invention;

Fig. III is a transverse sectional view on line III-III of Fig. II looking in the direction of the arrows;

Fig. IV is an end view of the clutch looking in the direction of the arrows of Fig. II; and

Fig. V is an expanded view showing the component parts of the separable wedging units of the clutch of the invention in disassembled position.

The invention may be incorporated in any type of engine starting apparatus and for a practicable application of its principles, I have elected to illustrate the same as embodied in an electric starter drive for automotive engines. However,

it is to be understood that I do not wish to limit the invention to the particular form shown and that I contemplate its use with any suitable prime mover and whenever the invention may be found to be of utility.

Referring to the drawings in which is illustrated an application of the principles of the invention to starting apparatus for engines using a suitable electric motor as a source of power for operating the starting drive of the invention in Fig. I the prime mover is shown as an electric motor is having field and armature connected in series. The starting motor 10 comprises a field frame 12 supporting by screws 13 the pole pieces (not shown) and housing the field windings I 1 and armature it. One end of the field circuit is connected to an insulated brush l'i bearing on the commutator [8. The insulated brush I? is supported on the end plate 20 which is detachably secured to the motor frame [2 by suitable screws 2!. The end plate 20 also houses a bearing 23 adapted to rotatably support at one end the motor or power shaft 25. The other motor brush (not shown) is grounded providing a ground return to the electrical source which may be a storage battery or other suitable source of current.

The non-grounded terminal of the suitable source of current is connected with the switch terminal 25 carried by a case 2i mounted on top of the motor frame l2. The case 2'! covers an insulated stud 28 passing through the field frame 12, being removably secured thereto by nut 29 and to which is connected as at 39 the other terminal of the motor field circuit constituting the ungroundcd motor terminal.

The electrical circuit for the energization of the motor or prime mover is controlled by a movable rod or plunger 32 supported on the switch case 21 insulatingly carrying a movable switch member engageable with a contact connected with terminal 25 and with another contact attached to insulated motor terminal 28. The movable switch member is maintained open by the action of a coil spring as located between the case 2'! and a cap 35 attached to the end of the switch rod 32.

ihe plunger 32, which is located in the path of movement of the starter drive shifting lever 36 connected to a mechanism (not shown) under the control of the operator, is adapted to close the circuit of the motor when the lever is moved toward the left. The lever 36 is pivoted on a stub shaft 31 carried by the gear housing 38 which is detachably secured to the motor frame i2 by suitable means such as screws 39. The gear housing 38 is provided with suitable means for securing the starter apparatus of the invention adjacent to a member of the engine to be started such as the flywheel ring gear 48 and houses a bearing 52 adapted to rotatably support the outboard end of the power shaft 25.

The power shaft. which is shown as an extended motor shaft 25, is formed with a smooth reduced section. Q3 adjacent to a section provided with longitudinal splines M serving as means to impart a positive rotary movement to the starting means of the invention permitting longitudinal movement with respect thereto, so that the driving member or starting pinion 45 is moved into and out of meshing engagement with the engine gear it. The shifting of the pinion 45 into and out of mesh with the engine gear 46 is effected by the movement of the lever 3-6, which lever has its lower portion 38 straddling the starter drive proper and is provided with suitable projecting rollers in engagement with the spool-shaped shifting collar of the starter drive assembly of the invention. The starting drive is in the form of an assembly which is readily applicable to and detachable from the power shaft 25 comprising generally a drive sleeve connected to a clutch driving member, a pinion connected to a clutch driven member, and separable wedging units associated with the clutch members for establishing a driving couple from the sleeve to the pinion.

The drive. sleeve of the-starting unit;- as shown in Fig. II, is in .theiormof atubul'arrmember. 4 7 having an enlarged section formedwith: ternal splines lS for cooperative. driving engage. ment with the splines 44 f the power shaft and carries on its outer surface the ring-like flanged members fill'and 51 forming the shifting. collar Qtwhereby the starter drive is moved by the lever 38 into and out of meshing engagement with the engine member; The collar 49 is slid-'- a-ble along the sleeve-against the coil spring 53 which is normally in a state of compression between the flanged member 51 and the-clutch dri" ing member or shell 54' and acts to retain the collar es in the position shown. in Fig. II'against a split ring. located in a groove 56tat the end of the sleeve '37. The. drive sleeve. 4'! and clutch driving member 54 are mechanically interconnected.

The over-running clutch driving member 54 is preferably of cup-shaped configuration and may be considered as the housing or female clutch member comprising an upstanding Wall 58 terminating into a horizontally: disposed flange 53 defining a recessed section having a cylindrical surface constituting the outer clutch working face 60. The upstanding wall 58 is formed with a central bore 6i adapted to be journaled on the shaft portion 43 to insure the concentricrelation of the face 60 with the. axis of the power shaft 25.

Located within the recessed portion of the driving member and radially spaced from the clutch face Bi! forming an annular chamber 62- is the cylindrical working face 63 of the male clutch or driven member. The clutch face 63 is shown as acylindrical annular member 64. fixedly secured to the hub. of the pinion 45 but, if desired, may be an integral part thereof.

The starter pinion or engine driving member 65 of the starter drive assembly has a central bore provided with a pair of speed bearing bushings sleeved on shaft section 43 for longitudinal and rotary movement with respect tothe power shaft unless clutched thereto-bythe overrunning clutch of the invention. The bearings 65 of the clutch driven member areinaxial alignment with the bearings 6| of the clutch driving member, thus insuring the'concentricity and coaxial relationship between-clutch working faces tit and 63 and the power shaft interposed between the clutch working faces Bil and in the annular chamber 6-2 formed between the clutch members are positioned a plurality of freely movable wedging units which operate to establish the driving couple between the clutch members for the transmission of torque from the power shaft 25 to the pinion 45. In the form of the invention, four separable wedging units are shown and each comprise, see Fig. V, a cam member or wedge block in the form of tapered clutch shoe 66 the coil spring 12, the follower l5, and the clutch roller 80'. Each wedge block 66 has a cylindrical surface 61 concentric with the clutch face 60 for frictional engagement therewith and is formed with an inner eccentric surface providing two camming zones 68 and st of diiferent locking angles for the roller. The zone 68 provides a roller locking angle of approximately two degrees while the zone 69 provides a higher locking angle, and is obtained in the form illustrated by upsetting a section of the wide end of the tapered shoe 66 without increasing its mass; The narrow end of each block is reduced in width andisbent forming. theinwardzprojectionor abutment 1 9 with whichis; inengagement one end of the spring:

1:21 havingits other-end in engagement with the transverse wall. Mi of.v the roller follower 15.

The follower 75, as shown in Fig. V, is prefer ablymade of sheet metal and comprises the paralIel sidewalls. 7.8. connected by a web or curved section H; The web. i'i terminates at one endinto atransverse wall i with rearwardly extending. ears: l8: embracing. the outer surface of the Walls 7'6 while its other end is formed as abent ear or spacer i9. contacting. the inner surface of each of the. walls 76' insuring their parallel rela tionship. Thisv construction provides a rigid, hollow member of channel-shaped cross section adapted to accommodate the cam abutment "til andthe spring 12. The spring i2 is retained within the follower 1:5 in compression to its working length, so that the clutch roller 88 is resiliently urged. toward the wide end of the clutchshoeiifitwhereby the wedge block 65' and the roller 88 are normally in contacting engagemerit withthe cylindrical clutch working. races 69' and 63. respectively of the clutch driving and driven members. The clutch roller 873 is made of hardened steelpand is of cylindrical configuration and is ofa width corresponding to that of the: clutch shoes 5E and transverse wall M of the followers l5. and terminates into parallel walls 82;

As shown in Fig II, the four separable clutch wedging units are located between the steel discs or washers 8 t and 35. The washer 83 contacts the. wall 58 of the driving member, while the washer 85 is located adjacent to the lock ring segments 86 and 8?. The washer 85 and ring segments each have their outer periphery in the annular recess'fifi of the clutch driving member and the inner periphery of the segments is received-inthe groove 89 of the clutch driven member 55, while that of washer iii: permits the free passage of said member. The washer 85 and locking. ring segments are retained in position byswedging or ring-staking the end of the recessed section 88, as at 953, so that the driving and driven members of the clutch are held longitudinally in fixed cooperative working. relation.

Itshould be noted that by the arrangement and relationship of the wedging units with respect to the clutch working surfaces 65} and '52 an ample space is provided for retaining a suitable lubricant to last throughout the life of the clutch. In addition, the relationship of the flat washers B l and 85 and locking ring segments 88 and 8?, associated. with a sealing gasket 92, provides means for avoiding leakage of the lubricant under normal conditions of operation of the clutch. The fiat washers 84 and all: also serve as wear-absorbing means for taking any sliding action relative to the clutch members of the wedging' units at the beginning and ending of the one-way torque-transmitting cycle. Moreover, the construction of the. follower it is such that the same is retained without overhang and, due to its'wid-th, the. roller is guided in a square. path without cantor tilt avoiding the possibility of detrimental contact of the Walls 82 of the roller with either of the metal washers 8 or 85. This assembly makes possible the successful use for the clutch housing 55 and locking segments 86 and 81 of relatively inexpensive material of lower strength and hardness than have previously been found practicable;

Thewedging units, as shown in Fig. V, can be assembled within the annular chamber 6-2 be.-

tween the clutch working surfaces 6G and 63 for a one-way torque transmission in either a clock or counter-clockwise rotation. In Fig. III, the wedging units, each inclusive of cam 68, spring i2 and roller 8@, are shown as assembled for a oneway clutch-transmitting torque in a clockwise rotation. However, changing their relationship, so that narrowing ends of the tapered section are directed in opposition to the arrow, a clutch can be produced to transmit a one-way torque in a counter-clockwise direction.

It should be noted that each of the coil springs 72 of the separable wedging units is assembled in the follower "l5 in compression to its working length causing the cam shoe 6% and cooperating roller til to have an excitation load to effect the transmission of torque when the driving member rotates relative to or turns faster the driven member of the clutch. In addition, the oil or lubricant chamber is distributed forming an oil film on clutch working parts and that the excitation load is not sufficient to prevent the maintenance or the accumulation of the oil film between the clutch working face 69 and the surface 6? of each cam member 56. However, as soon as the driving member rotates relative to or turns faster than the driven member 56, a radial load on the clutch faces iii} and 63 is effected by the wedging action of the separable units caused by movement of the roller towards the wide end of the cam member 6%. This radial load or wedging action causes the oil film to be squeezed or pushed out before frictional driving engagement takes place between the clutch surface 59 with the surface 6'! of separable units as weli as of the roller 85! with the camming zone 68 of the wedge block and with the clutch work ing surface 63 of the driven member During the short interval of time that the oil film is being pushed out, slipping or sliding of the wedging units with respect to the clutch working faces and occurs and the oil film acts as a cushion, damping out and thereby reducing the shock and stresses normally present when the load is taken up by the clutch at the initiation of the engine starting cycle I secure several novel advantages by the inclusion of camming means provided with roller locking angles of different values such as the zones 58 and 69 whereby the roller locking angle increases as the torque is increased. This arrangement prevents the roller load on the working parts of the overrunning clutch from increasing to a destructive point under heavy loads or overloads, thereby avoiding localized fatigue as well as destructive deformation which occurs in most conventional clutches The cam zone t3 produces a. greater roller load for a given torque than the cam zone as and thereby is very effective for penetrating or squeezing out the grease or lub'icant film at the initiation of the torque transmission, particularly in cold weather. The cam zone 69, having a higher roller locking angle which produces a lower roller load for a given torque than zone 88, is very effective under heavy loads, as the zone 69 becomes effective when, due to stresses of a heavy load, the roller 8!! climbs from the cam zone 68 into contact with the cam zone 59 The cam zone as then locks the roller without increasing the roller load and thereby the stresses are kept from rising This prevents the stresses from exceeding the elastic limits of the housing and other parts In addition, when the roller 89 is wedged by zone 69, due to heavy loads, this zone limits the torque overload which may be transmitted by the clutch and permits momentary slipping without injury, thus preventing the destruction or permanent deformation of the clutch under heavy loads.

It can be seen that by the arrangement of the invention any deflection that may take place will not be localized over the same small area as it will be taken up by the cam shoe 6%. Moreover, the deflection and stresses are stopped from exceed- .ing the elastic limits of the clutch workingparts,

particularly the working face of the shell member or housing 55.

On the other hand, by the arrangement of the clutch of the invention, undue wear is prevented when overrunning of the clutch takes place because of very effective lubrication of the parts subjected to sliding contact is provided. This effestive lubrication is secured because, during the overrunning, the centrifugal force set up in the lubricant has a tendency to carry the oil away from the center toward the outside, thus providing satisfactory lubrication to the clutch working parts and insuring an oil film between the clutch WOl'klllg face Bi) and the surface 5'! of the cam members where sliding contact occurs. The ciutch working face 60 and surface 5? are subject to sliding contact because, when the driven member of the clutch or pinion turns at a faster speed than the driving member 54, the wedge block t6 tends to move and its roller 80 moves toward its narrow section, thus reducing the radial load, and slippage between the working surface 66 of the driving member and surface 57 of the wedge block takes place providing free overrun between. the drivin and driven members of the clutch. During overrunning, the rollers are not called. upon to rapidly rotate or are subjected to detrimental sliding friction because the contact pressure of the roller with the clutch driven member is relieved and sliding friction takes place between the cam members and the clutch face of the driving member. The fact that the rollers are prevented from tilting, do not rotate at very high speed, and are relieved of any sliding friction, coupled with the elfective lubrication for the clutch working surface subjected to sliding contact, are some of the features contributing to the outstandin performance and lOIlglife of the over-running clutch of the invention.

The operation of the starting apparatus of the invention may be summarized as follows: In normal operation the parts are in the position shown in Fig. I. In the form of the invention shown, the clutching units are assembled, so that the pinion Q5 will be rotated by the motor and transmit torque when the shaft 25 turns in a clockwise direction, as indicated by the arrow shown in Fig. III.

The engine is started by moving the shifting lever 36 counterclockwi e to shift the pinion 55 in mesh with the engine gear Q 3 and to engage the plunger 32 to thereby close the starter motor switch to energize the motor for cranking the engine.

The instant the motor is energized after the pinion is in mesh with the engine gear til, the working face 68 of the clutch driving member tends to move ahead of the workin face 83 of the clutch driven membe This action affects the wedging of the separable clutching units therebetween, whereby the oil or grease film is pushed out concurrently with a momentary slippage before frieticnal driving engagement takes place between the clutch working faces and the separable clutching units. The time during which the greasefilm is bein I current slipping of the clutch wor king units with respect to the clutch working faces, provides pushed out, and the con- .a means for dampin or cushioning the shock caused by the taking .up .of the engine cranking load. Moreover, under some conditions of opera tion, particularly starting and cranking. engines predetermined valueby the arrangement :of the invention :is accomplished by the fact that-when .the torque load on the clutch .is increased over a predetermined value, a slippage takesgplace between the clutch workingtraces and the dredging units. By this arrangement, the torque transmitted by the clutch is not dependent upon the stalling torque of the motor as occurs with conventional constructions but is limited to a predetermined amount which does not exceed the elastic limits of the working parts and prevents their permanent setting or deformation.

When the engine becomes self-operative, the

pinion a is accelerated, due to its connection with the engine flywheel gear Gil, to a speed greater than the speed of the prime mover or electric motor iii. The acceleration of the pinion 45 causes the rollers iii to roll out of locking engagement, moving the same toward the abutment Til. Concurrently the electric motor H3, since it is beingrelieved of the engine cranking load, speeds up toward terminal speed, setting up a centrifugal force on the rollers 83 causing the same to roll outwardly toward the narrow end of the wedging block 56 compressing springs 72. This double action causes the release and immediate overrun of the clutch, as well as freeing the rollers 86 of any contacting engagement with the pinion race or clutch working face (53 of the driven member.

In case of gear tooth abutment, prior to the full meshing of the chamfered teeth of the pinion with the engine gear (49, the spring 53 allowing the closing of the motor circuit, whereupon the armature rotates moving shaft 25 to turn the teeth of the pinion into meshing registration with the teeth of the engine gear. When registration occurs, the pinion 55 will be moved rapidly into mesh with the engine gear 40 due to the sudden release of the compressed spring 53.

It is to be understood that the above detailed description of the present invention is intended to disclose an embodiment thereof to those skilled in the art, but that the invention is not to be construed as limited in its application to the details of construction and arrangement of parts illustrated in the accompanying drawings, since the invention is capable of being practiced and carried out in various ways without departing from the spirit of the invention. The language used in the specification relating to the operation and function of the elements of the invention is employed for purposes of description and not of limitation, and it is not intended to limit the scope of the following claims beyond the requirements of the prior art.

What is claimed:

1. An over-running clutch comprising a drivwill yield,

ing member having a clutch-working face, a

driven member having a clutch-working face,

said members mounted for rotation with their clutch-working. faces radially spaced forming an annular- .c'hamber,"freely movable tapered clutch shoes each having.v two camming zones of differentrroller'lock'ing angles positioned in said annular chamber for "frictional engagement with one of the walls "thereof, rollers positioned in said chamber for cooperative engagement with the-'camming zones eof said "shoes and with the other wall of said annular chamber, said ta- 'pere'd shoes having a projection'in said chamber formingan abut-merit, and a spring coacti-ng with each oneof-said abutments for urging saidrollers into effective engagement with the camzn ing cones of saidshoes- "and-the working clutch face or one of said members.

2. An overrunningclutchecomprising adriving member having acyli-ndrical clutch-working face, a driven member provided with a cylindrical clutch-working face; said members mounted for rotation with their clutch-working faces radially spaced in concentric relation forming an annular chamber, arcuate tapered shoes freely movable and positioned in said chamber for frictional engagement with one of the walls thereof, each of said tapered shoes having a projection extending into said chamber forming an open compartment, 2. single roller positioned in each of said compartments for cooperative engagement with each one of said shoes and with the other wall of said annular chamber, a separate follower for each roller having a wall in said compartment for engagement with a roller, each follower having a section embracing a shoe projection, and a spring means located in engagement with each of said shoe projections and with the wall of each follower for normally urging each roller and its cooperating shoe into wedging engagement with the clutch-working faces of the driving and driven members.

3. An over-running clutch comprising a driving member having a cylindrical clutch-working face, a driven member havin a cylindrical clutch face, said members mounted for rotation with their clutch-working faces radially spaced in concentric relation forming an annular chamber, arcuate tapered clutch shoes freely movable and positioned in said chamber for frictional engagement with the cylindrical clutch-working face of the driving member, the narrow end of each of said tapered shoes having a projection extending into said chamber forming an open compart ment, a single roller positioned in each of said compartments for cooperative engagement with each one of said shoes and with the cylindrical clutch-working face of the driven member, a separate roller follower having a transverse wall of substantially the same width as that of the roller for engagement with the roller and provided with a channel-shaped section embracing said shoe projection, a spring in engagement with each shoe projection and with the transverse wall of each roller follower for normally urging the roller and its cooperating tapered shoe into wedging engagement with the clutch-working faces of the driving and driven members.

4. An over-running clutch comprising a driving member having a cylindrical clutch-working face, a driven member provided with a cylindrical clutch-working face, said members mounted for rotation with their clutch-working faces radially spaced in concentric relation forming an annular chamber, arcuate shoes freely movable and posi- 11 tioned in said chamber for frictional engagement with one of the walls thereof, each of said' shoes provided with two camming zones and a projection extending into said chamber forming an open compartment, a single roller positioned in each of said compartments for cooperative engagement with the camming zones of each of said shoes and with the other wall of said annular chamber, a separate follower for each roller having a wall in said compartment for engagement with a roller, each follower having a section embracing a shoe projection, and a spring means located in engagement with each of said shoe projections and with the wall of each follower for normally urging each roller and cooperating shoe into wedging engagement with the clutch-working faces of the driving and driven members.

5. An overrunning clutch comprising a driving member having a clutch-working surface, a driven member having a clutch-working surface, freely movable tapered elements having one of its surfaces in contact with one of said clutch-working surfaces, rollers interposed between the other surface of said elements and the other of said clutch-Working surfaces to establish a driving relation between said driving and driven member, the tapered elements formed with camming zones having roller locking angles of different values, and the end zone having a higher locking angle whereby the engagement of the roller with the end zone prevents excessive stresses at maximum torque.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,618,915 Constantinesco Feb. 22, 1927 1,828,359 Chryst Oct. 20, 1931 1,893,231 Floyd Jan. 3, 1933 2,127,969 Dingwerth Aug. 23, 1938 2,211,053 Critchfield Aug. 13, 19 10 2,275,605 Bondurant Mar. 10, 1942 2,308,471 Schwartz Jan. 12, 1943 

